Oiling system for bearings



2 Shets-Sheet 1 \INVENTER 0% P0 ATTORN Ys June 7, 1927.

' P. E. MATTHEWS 01mm SYSTEM FOR BEARINGS Filed June 27. -1925 1, 1,217 June '7, 1927. P. E MATTHEWS 63 OILING SYSTEM FOR BEARINGS Filed June 27. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NTOR may? W BY fiigduv M & ATTORNSZ v Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PHILIP E. MATTHEWS. OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO I [NTERNATIONAL MOTOR COMPANY, OF "YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 01mm; SYSTEM mm annuities; f

Application filed June 27, 1925. Serial No. 39,808.

, This invention relates to the problem of adequately lubricating the bearings for mov-. ing parts in enclosed casings in motor vehicles. In the assemblies of various units 5 such as transmissionsand final drives for motor vehicles, bearings are often necessarily located in relatively remote places where' they cannot receive adequate lubrication by splash. The present invention relates to means by which the lubricant may be con- 'veyed under all circumstances from the main reservior to the bearings and circulated constantly by the action of the bearings themselves the result being what might be properly termed by analogy a force-feed system as distinguished from a splash system even though the action of the bearings themselves is depended upon to maintain the necessary pressure differential for circula-,

2 tion. In accordance with the invention the means employed are simple and self-embodied and entail -no additional moving parts. vChannels and dams are provided within the casings in such relation to splashing members and bearings as to create a complete circulatory system through which the lubricant is constantly conveyed. Re- 1 turn channels may similarly be employed when necessary. It has been fbund in practi'ce that the invention lends itself particularly to the incorportion in units where tapered roller bearings are provided although it is in nowise so limited in so far as the principle disclosed and claimed herein may be useful with other types" of bearings; V

- Further, while its application to a final drive employing double reduction gearing is illustrated for purposes of illustration it will become evidentas the description pro- 40 ceeds that its usefulness is not tobe so re"- stricted since it may beemployed to equal advantage in any unit where there are revolving gears-and bearings. 1

Reference is now to be had to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of .the illustrated embodiment in. which drawings: I I

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal vertical section through the fragment of a casefor afinal drive having double reduction gearing, arrows indicating/the circulatory system of the lubricant.

Figure 2 is a View in longitudinal horizontal section of a fragment'of the case shown in Figure and taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of. the arrows.

As pointed out hereinbefore the gears, shafts, bearings and casing illustrated in the drawingsappear merely by way of illustration so that the principle underlying the invention may be made clear but no restriction is to be imposed on the scope of the invention by the form or arrangement of such parts asshown since the invention is notconcerned with them. Figure 1 illustrates a driven shaft section a which maybe coupled to the propeller shaft and carries at its'end a final drive bevel pinion a which meshes with a bevel pinion I) carried on a stub shaft 0 which imparts a double reduction drive through a final drive spur pinion c thereon meshing with the spur ring gear' The parts red for the differential gear. ferredto are housed within a main casing e on the front wall of which may be attached a separate small casing f in which the. shaft section a is journaled in accordance with known practice. The shaft a must be supported adjacent its ends and for this purpose bearings indicated generally at g and h are provided within the small casing f. Similarly,the stub shaft 0 for the spur pinion 0' must be journaled' at its ends arid for this purpose bearings indicated generally at i, 7c, are provided within the side walls of the main casing e. The bearing 9 presents a probleri where means are provided to circulate the lubricant from the main casin e over its work for while they are not remote from the lubricant itself and are found within the walls of. the transmissionicasing they are so i located iwith respect to the revolving mem-' bers. as to ordinarily receive an adequate supply of the lubricant by splash.

of lubrication and illustrates the application of one aspect of the invention.

The matter of lubricating of a. remote hearing will first be considered. -T-he rin gear 01 revolves within the lubricant indicat at within the. main case a and carries a regular supply of lubricant to the final drive spur pinion c.- This pinion in turn splashes oil on the bevel pinions a, b, which are in proximity to it. The teeth of these pinions at the points where they mesh s ueeze the oil or pump it out laterallyas in 'cated by no Z the arrow Z. A shoulder orledge m opposite this stream is formed on the inner wall of the casing e or a part thereof to-receive the oil. From this ledge extends forwardly through the rear wall of the casing f a channel f by which the oil accumulating on the flange m is led forwardly within the casing f and discharged thereinto. A flange f within the casing f adjacent its bottom serves as the dam to trap the oil thus delivered and maintain its level above the proximate bearing members in the bearing g. It will be -noted from Figure 1 that the flow of oil into from right to left as viewed-in Figures 1 and 2 and in this way, the bearingielements-are constantly lubricated. A space to receive this oil is formed behind the bearing ele-' ,ments g withinghe cap f for the casing and this space co munic'a'tes with a return channelif? at the bottom part of the casing f,

' this return channel terminating in a space or reservoir 7 immediately in rear of the dam' f and open to the bearing elements h in the bearing 71-. The level of the lubricant within the space i is maintained at a height as to constantly provide a lubricant for the bearing elements It. These bearing elements are, of course, so assembled as to take the oil from the space i and pump it through into the main casing e.

From the description given and having reference to the arrows shown in Figures 1 and 2 it will be clear that acompletecirculatory system has been establishe' dby the improved means by which the bearing ele-' ments themselves acting as pumps constantly maintain a flow of lubricant from the main 1 casing over the remote'b'earings and "return.

No additional moving parts are employed and yet a force-feed system is the result.

Turning now to the other conditions set' up within the main casing e by failure of the bearings 11 and k to receive adequatelubriczv tion through splash it will be seen that the flange m where oil is collected is placed in communication with the bearing i'by a separatechannel c which delivers oil in proximity to the smaller ends of the tapered bearings. A flange e is" formedopposite the smaller ends of these tapered bearings but spaced therefrom so that the oil when and as I received from the channel'ewill be dammed up and retained to a desirable degree to permit the pumping action heretofore described to be carried on constantly by the bearing elements 21'. The oil heldby the flange e is pumped by these bearing elements inthe j direction of the arrows shown in Figure 2 and discharged at the backside of the bearings into the space within the closing'ca e from which space it may return throng ducts to the'mam reservoir. The condition at the opposite end of the stub shaft 0 at its bearing is is somewhat similar. A flange or collecting ledge e is provided on the inner wall of the casing e in such relationto the revolving bevel pinion a as to receive oil' thrown therefrom and deliver it in proximity to the smaller ends of the bearing members 70. The support 0 for the bearing is is flanged at its end as indicated at 0' this flange being in spaced relation to the inner side of the bearing and serve to retain the oil delivered through the channel e for the pumping action of the rollers 70'. pumped through the rollers into the space within the cap 0 may subsequently return to the main casing 6 through openings provided therefor. r

The oil The condition just described with respect to the bearings 71, is, is not an unusual one in any enclosed casmgs where there are revolvlng gears.

The means provided to insure constant lubrication of the bearings may include'any form of collecting recess or channel or flange and any form of connecting conduit either as an open channel or a pipe orithe equivalent. Further, the equivalent of the dams herein referred to vided by one skilled in the art.

may be proa Changes or variations as indicated may be made so long as the principle is retained without avoiding 'the spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim 1. In combination with an enclosed casing and members mounted therein to revolve in a. lubricant and tapered roller hearings inwhich said-revolving members are journaled, 7

means to constantly circulate the lubricant to such bearings including collecting means for the lubricant conveyed by the revolving members and channels bywhichr the lubricant is led from said collecting means into proximity with the bearings, and means for maintaining the lubricant s0 conveyed at the level of the bearings.

andmembers mounted therein to revolve in a lubricant and tapered roller bearings in whichsaid revolving members are journaled, means to constantly circulate the lubricant to such bearings including collecting means for the lubricant conveyed by the, revolving members and channels by which-the lubricant is led fromsaid collecting means into proximity with the bearings, means for 2. In combination with an enclosed casing v in which the parts are journaled within the gearing,

casing, collecting means to receive lubricant thrown up bythe revolving members, channels to deliver the lubricant so collected to p the roller bearings,- and means to maintain the lubricant so delivered at a predetermined depth with relation to said'bearings.

4. In combination with a casing having revolving gears therein adapted to rotate Within a lubricant, tapered roller bearings in which the parts are journaled within the casing, collecting means to receive lubricant thrown up by the revolvingmembers, nels to deliver the lubricant so collected to the roller bearings, means to maintain the lubricant so delivered at a predetermined depth with relation to said bearings,and return channels through which said lubricant is delivered back into the main body.

5. In combination with gearing adapted to revolve in a lubricant within a casing, a-fiange formed on the wall of'the casing to receive lubricant thrown onto it by said revolving gears, a channel leading from the flange to deliverilubricant into p oximity to tapered roller bearings remote rom said means to maintain thelubricant so delivered at a predetermined depth with respect to said bearings, and means'to conduct the lubricant back to the casing, whereby constant circulation of the lubricant is main- 'tained.

I 6. In combination with a casing having revolving gears journaled therein and adapted to rotate in a lubricant, a ledge formed onthe inner wall of the casing to receive lubricant from said gears, ashaft journaled on tapered roller bearings, the taper of said rollers being opposed a channel leading from said ledge to a point between said bearings to deliver lubricant, a reservoir to hold. the lubricant so delivered in proximity to one of said bearings wherebyithe tapered rollers will receive such lubricant and pump it past themselves, and areturn passage to deliver said lubricant the other of said bearings.

chan-.

7. combination with a casing having revolving gears journaled therein and adapt ,ed to rotate .in a lubricant, aledge formed on the inner wall of the casing'to receive lubricant thrown onto it by said revolving gears, a shaft journaled in a lurality of tapered roller bearings, one of wli ich is more I remote. from said revolving gears than .the

remotebearing and conduct it to said second named reservoir whereby the tapered rollers will receive such lubricant and pumpit past themselves and back into the casing.

8. In combination with a casing having revolving gears journaled therein and adapted to rotate in ,a lubricant, ledges formed on the inner wall of the casing to receive lubricant thrown onto it by said revolving gears, a shaft journaled in a plural-' ity of tapered roller bearings, reservoirs formedin the casing in proximity to the smaller ends of said bearings, channels to conduct lubricant from said ledges to saidreservoirs whereb the tapered rollers may receive such lubrlcant and pump it past themselves and back into the casing,-a sec- 0nd shaft journaled in aplurality of tapered roller bearings, the,taper.of said rollers bemg opposed, reservoirs formed in the easing in proximity to the smaller ends ofgsaid bearings, a channel to conduct lubricant from one of said ledges to the reservoir in proximity to the smaller end of the hearing more remote from said gears whereby the tapered rollers may receive suchlubr'i *ca'nt and pump it past themselves, and a channelQadapted to receivelubricant from the last-mentioned bearing and conduct it to the reservoir in proximity to the smaller end of the bearing Less remote from said gears whereby the tapered rollers of such hearing may receive the lubricant'and pump it past themselves and back into the casing. This specification signed this 19th-day of June A. D, 1925.

' IPHILIP MATTHEWS, I 

